[[!meta date="2016-06-13"]]
[[!meta author="Tyler Cipriani"]]
[[!meta copyright="""
Copyright &copy; 2018 Tyler Cipriani
"""]]
[[!meta title="Munich Helles First Try"]]

I recently started really appreciating this style. In my research for
attempting to create a good example of this style I found a really
amazing beer that has a wonderful German Beer character—Spaten Premium
Lager. I'd like to recreate something similar. Spaten Premium Lager will
likely be my gold standard (as Ballast Point Sculpin is for my IPA),
which is to say: it's the beer against which I will be judging my
homebrewed examples.

As a first pass at this style, I'm keeping it simple, but I'm also
testing a theory.

Stats
-----

-   OG: 1.049
-   FG: ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
-   IBU (Tensith): 16.7
-   Batch Size: 7 Gallons
-   Boil Time: 90 Minutes
-   Mash Eff: 70%

Fermentables
------------

  ingredient              amount   %     when
  ----------------------- -------- ----- ------
  Weyerman Pilsner Malt   12 lbs   100   mash

Hops
----

  Variety    Alpha   Amount   IBU    Form     Time
  ---------- ------- -------- ------ -------- ------
  Sterling   meh.    1 oz     meh.   Pellet   FWH

Other
-----

  Ingredient   Amount     When
  ------------ ---------- ---------------------------
  Servomyces   1 unit     10 Min. remaining in boil
  Whirlfloc    1 tablet   2 Min. remaining in boil

Mash
----

Double decoction

-   Dough-in 133°F
-   Pull 1st decoction, raise to 158°F, hold for 10 mins
-   Bring 1st decoction to a boil for 10 mins
-   Remix mash to 148°F
-   Pull 2nd thick decoction, raise to 158°F, hold for 10 mins
-   Bring 2nd decoction to a boil for 10 mins
-   Remix to 158°F
-   Raise to mashout at 168°F

Yeast
-----

  Strain                       Amount         Starter
  ---------------------------- -------------- ---------
  Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager   1 Smack-Pack   Nope

Notes
-----

The theory I'm testing here is: I don't necessarily think you need to
have temperature control to ferment a fine lager. I'm fermenting at
\~68°F (I have no temp control right now). Also, I pitched 1 smack-pack
without a starter. We'll see how all this works out. Seems to be
fermenting happily for the time being.

The Future
----------

I'd like to look into [Best Chit
Malz](http://www.countrymaltgroup.com/ingredients/malts/bz-chit-malt/)
and see how that works out. Triple decoction on that at 100%. Would that
even work? Guess I'd find out :O
